Edible Espionage (2 page)

“I see. And how long have you lived here?”

“Born and raised.”
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“So, I guess no hope of telling you
I
was then?”

“Nope.” She shook her head.

“I’m from Seattle. Taking a sabbatical of sorts, I need to evaluate some things. I’ve been to Haven a few times and I like its feel so I decided to stay awhile.”

“Well, you’re welcome here anytime, Gavin. I’ve heard coffee and non-chocolate pastries often help the evaluation process.”

He chuckled. “Thanks for the offer, Sarah. I’ll make sure to keep Crazy for Cake in mind.” He gripped the box down by his hip. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again…
soon
. Have a nice day.”

I will now
. Falling on old habit, Sarah twirled a lock of her hair as she glued her gaze to Gavin weaving his way through the crowd and out the front door. He headed west toward the waterfront.
I wonder where he’s staying for this sabbatical.
Who takes a sabbatical?
For a moment, she ruminated on the question.
Gavin Arnold…where have you been all my life?
You can come back and try my goodies anytime.

****

This job could turn out to be more rewarding than I imagined.

Gavin had attempted to casually meet Sarah for the last week with no success. The double take at a coffee shop hadn’t worked and the small smile on the sidewalk had left her oblivious. Yesterday at the market, when he literally tried to bump into Sarah, he found himself face to face with a frail little old lady. Sarah’s evasiveness wore on him. He’d worked with much harder and deadlier people in the past. Why had she proved to be such a pain? Gavin had set his resolve and rounded the corner of aisle three. There he found her pawning over the endless choices at the fresh cheese bar. He strolled over, picked up the tongs, and made his selection. Deciding to be forward, Gavin used his patented charmer smile. “Hi.”

In return, she’d flashed him a grin and sparkling blue-eyed gaze. Before he could say another word, she turned toward the produce section. She’d left him standing with a tong of cheese and a great view—lean curves and flowing sandy brown hair moving gracefully away.

Before a month ago, Haven, Washington never blipped on his radar. Millionaire Howard Lexington, however, had other plans when he’d called Gavin into his office.

“Arnold, you come highly recommended.” Mr. Lexington slid a cream-colored file across the mahogany conference table. “I have a rather unique assignment.”

Gavin picked up the folder and thumbed through the paperwork and his assignment. The files looked thin for what Mr. Lexington expected—infiltrate Crazy for Cake
and steal their competitive edge so Mr. Lexington’s wife could win a baking competition. The assignment was child’s play for an operator like him. He didn’t often engage in corporate espionage, but the change of scenery would be nice from a foreign desert. “Not much here, sir. Let me fill in my team, and we can meet again later this week.”

“Do what you need to do, but rest assured, Arnold, this assignment is nonnegotiable. I won’t sit back and be beat for the second year in a row.” Mr. Lexington returned his attention to his paperwork.

“Yes, sir. I understand.” Gavin spoke to the CEO’s inattentive head. Back in his office, Gavin thoroughly read the file and made notes of missing information. He certainly wasn’t fired up to turn on the charm for someone who probably looked like Mrs. Claus…or worse. Still, he’d approach her sweetly and let her see him as her long-lost son. Then he’d have no problem completing the task at hand.

Through his research, Gavin pleasantly learned about Fiona Blue and Sarah Zion…no Mrs. Claus in the bunch.
Change of plans…time to turn on the charm and be lovable.
The two women had been friends since childhood and last year remodeled a downtown family store into a bakery. Fiona, newly married to some local big-shot contractor, wasn’t his angle.

But, there appeared to be no love interest for Sarah.
Jackpot. She’s my way in.
The corners of his mouth turned up.
I need to get a look at the set-up, recipes, and methods.
He pulled out his notebook and jotted down the key information he’d need to know before he approached the delicious-looking Sarah at Crazy for Cake.

He’d been to Haven a handful of times, scouting the area and owners. He found a reasonable weekly rate at Jabb’s Bed and Breakfast on the pier and kept a low profile. Haven was a small town and, while he hadn’t grown up in one, Gavin knew how they operated. The attractive place offered vibrant store fronts and lively streets…not to mention the endless ocean on one side and a forest of evergreens on the other.

As he walked into his rented room, Gavin looked at the Crazy for Cake box and tossed the key and his wallet on the painted wooden stand by the door. The room, decorated in soft flowers with a bold navy blue strip running horizontal around the room, served as his base for the assignment. Definitely not his preferred taste, but the clean bed and warm shower made up for decor. Gavin sat on the bed and opened the pink box. The sweet aroma of frosting filled his senses.

First, he sampled the cookie.
Who makes a strawberry-lime cookie?
He hadn’t dared ask his question at the bakery. He could tell Sarah was proud of this particular confection. The slight tart bite of the lime surprised his taste buds. When he bit into the cookie it gave way with a chewy break. The texture was airy and light.
Perplexing.
He sat, chewed, and wrote notes in the same book as he’d done since receiving the assignment.
Delicious.
The different flavors packed into the small, round lime-colored cookie had the perfect balance. After the last bite, he took a swig of water to clear his palate and geared up for the banana cream tart.

Good consistency, crust is pleasant…not too floury or flakey or overwhelming.
He jotted more notes. The orange dream bar was ready to be photographed for a Martha Stewart magazine.
Orange mixed with vanilla, always a nice combination.
Memories of the summers he spent at his aunt’s bakery flashed through his mind.
Who would’ve thought all my taste testing back then would come in handy now?

This isn’t such a bad gig, after all.
His head zinged from the sugar rush.
I need a gym or more of Sarah…

Gavin slipped his fingers into the back pocket of his jeans to retrieve his smart phone. A quick swipe of the screen and the phone lit up. A tap of his thumb opened a new email document. He typed
Crazy for Cake Treats
in the subject line, filled the body with the rest of his notes, and hit
send.

****

“So…who’s the tall drink of water you were talking to earlier?” Fiona leaned on the kitchen counter after locking up for the night.

“What?” Sarah shrugged off Fiona’s question as she slid a tray of chocolate chip cookies from the oven.

“Ha. Don’t play coy with me. I saw you blush.” Fiona nibbled on the rest of the lemon bar in her hand.

The rich aroma of melted chocolate and vanilla batter filled The Lab. The two had dubbed the Crazy for Cake
kitchen “The Lab” when they’d first opened. The name fit. After all, Sarah enjoyed constantly experimenting with new recipes and techniques…some to triumphant success, others to epic failure.

“I know we’re both tired, but we do need to discuss the competition at some point. I can’t compete solo.” Sarah was glad to change the subject.

Fiona rubbed her temples. “Okay, let me talk with Jake and see what we can come up with. I know we need to compete to keep Crazy for Cake open.”

“We really do.” Sarah nodded. As the returning champion of a national baking competition, Sarah needed to attend…and she wanted to be there. How would it look if she didn’t preserve her standing rank? Besides, the prize purse was the real motivation as Crazy for Cake, just over a year old, barely turned a profit. In order to survive, and grow, they needed the winnings.

“You’re not off the hook…who’s the hottie?”

“I don’t know who he is. I’ve seen him a couple of times around, but today’s the first time we spoke.” She shoveled the hot cookies onto a cooling rack and set the red oven mitts on the counter.

“What’d you think?” Fiona stopped chewing her lemon bar and stared at her friend.

“He seems nice enough. Said he is on a sabbatical. Not sure from what, though.” Sarah took one of the fresh cookies and blew on as she twisted off a piece. A string of chocolate bridged the gap between the two pieces until she set one in her mouth.

“You don’t hear of many people on sabbatical these days…and, in Haven? Don’t people usually study something when they’re on one of those?”

Sarah shrugged. “How would I know?” She looked at Fiona. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.” Fiona’s normal wide eyes were dim with slight bags underneath them. Her blonde curls had been completely pulled up into a bun. The day had been long and Sarah knew her friend teetered on exhaustion—not only from the planning and execution of the party, but because of her recent transition to motherhood. “Why don’t you head home? I got this.”

“No, no, I’ll stay. I just talked with Jake. Ella went down without a fuss.”

Sarah arranged the oven mitts until they lay perfectly aligned. “So, why not go home and spend some time with your husband? Take a load off. Really, I got this.”

“Are you sure, Sar? I don’t mind staying to help.”

“And besides”—Sarah ignored the offer with a wave of her hand—“you aren’t even supposed to be back to work yet. Go take the rest of your maternity time.”

Both women chuckled. While they’d discussed how they would manage after Ella’s arrival, they agreed maternity leave wasn’t exactly an option when you ran your own business. The two-person team would be one person too short when Fi left on break.

“Hey…did you get the ad in the paper?” Sarah asked.

“Yep. Not one call yet. But it’s early. This is the first run.” Fiona wrinkled her nose. “Maybe we shouldn’t waste the money on the ad. I can come up with a schedule with Jake, and we can both work part-time or something. That’s a perk of both of us owning our own businesses.”

“Let’s run the ad for a couple of weeks. We’ve made our schedule work this far to cover the bakery and bills. If we don’t find someone soon, we’ll reevaluate our plan. I think you need this time at home, Fi.” As she walked past the counter, Sarah squeezed her friend’s shoulder.

“Yeah, me too.” Fiona blew out a long sigh. “Well, I’m taking you up on your offer after all. I’m exhausted.”

“Today was fantastic. Night, doll.” Sarah heard the deadbolt on the back door click.

She gathered the pans and filled the left side of the stainless steel three-sink basin with hot water. She squirted dish soap and let the rising white bubbles mesmerize her for a second. While the sink filled, she wiped down the tables and counters in the front of the bakery. Next, she collected empty trays from the display case and headed back into The Lab.

If we could sell out every day, then life would be grand.
The only perishable item remaining? The fudge she’d hidden in the back of the fridge.

Sarah opted to continue baking the easier items they carried, like cookies and quick bars, as she straightened. The mornings were manageable when she had her basic stock to start with.
I have lots of baking to do. I’ll have to come in earlier to start the cinnamon rolls and breakfast sweets.

Sarah grabbed a thick chunk of fudge, found a barstool, and took out her smart phone from her apron pocket, selecting her
Classics
playlist. She extended her feet on the newly cleaned counter, and tapped her foot to the stylings of Bon Jovi. Sarah sang along to the dreams of living on wishes and prayers.

I love this place.
Now, I can cross off “start a business” on my bucket list.
The list held many items, but opening Crazy for Cake had definitely been at the top.
How amazing would life be if my art and culinary creations were in shops all across the United States? Or better yet…the world?
She couldn’t help hear a maniacal laugh as the playlist rolled forward and blasted from the speaker.
With a raised eyebrow,
she looked at the last tiny bite of fudge.
Seriously, who doesn’t like chocolate?

Chapter Two: Sweet and Deep

Gavin pulled on his navy baseball cap and glanced in the foggy bathroom mirror. Dark denim, green T-shirt with designs running amuck in silver…a perfect combination for his targeted objective.
Get the job. Lock it down. Move on.

His first conversation with Sarah counted in the win column. The plan for today consisted of capitalizing on her flirtyness and progressing to step two. If he got shot down, which he doubted, he’d find another way in. He always did. He problem-solved. That’s who he was…the go-to guy. Challenging situations were a piece of cake.

“Hi, Gavin.” A cheery Sarah called out as the chime sounded on the front door.

The sweet smell of a morning done right filled the air—coffee mingled with the cinnamon aroma of breakfast rolls. He looked around at the empty tables and glanced at his watch.
Where are all the customers?
He hoped his presence wouldn’t be so obvious…his assumption of a bustling bakery in the morning had been wrong.